From Wikipedia:
I thought it was interesting to see where the names of countries came from and found this list:
-
Afghanistan: "Land of the Afghans" in
Persian.
-
Albania: "Land of the Albanians".
-
Algeria: "Land of Algiers", a
Latinization of French colonial name L'Algérie
-
Andorra: Etymology unknown.
-
Angola: "Land
of Ndongo", from the Portuguese colonial name (Reino de Angola.)
-
Antigua
and Barbuda: Antigua: "Ancient". Barbuda: "Bearded" in
Spanish.
-
Argentina:
"Platine" (lit. "Silvery"), from the 17th-century
Spanish La Argentina.
-
Armenia:
Hayastan derives from earlier Armenian
Hayk’ (Հայք)
and Persian -stān
-
Australia:
"Southern Land" in New Latin
-
Austria: "Eastern
March", Latinized as early as 1147 from German Österreich.
-
Azerbaijan:
"Land of Aturpat", a Hellenistic-era king.
-
Bahamas: "The
Shallows", from the Spanish name Archipiélago de las Bahamas
-
Bahrain: "The Two Seas" in Arabic.
-
Bangladesh:
"Country of Bengal", a compound of Bengali Bangla and -desh "country").
-
Barbados: "Bearded ones", from the Portuguese
Las Barbadas
-
Belarus:
"White Russia", a compound of the Belarussian bel- (бел-,
"white") and Rus (Русь, Rus') adopted in 1991. .
-
Belgium:
"Land of the Belgae", from the Roman province of Gallia Belgica
-
Belize:
Etymology unknown.
-
Benin:
"[Land beside] the Bight of Benin", the stretch of the Gulf of Guinea
-
Bhutan:
Etymology unknown.
-
Bolivia:
"Land of Bolivar" in New Latin, in honor of Simón Bolívar
-
Bosnia
and Herzegovina: Bosnia: "Land of the Bosna" in Latin. Herzegovina:
"Duchy" or "Dukedom"
-
Botswana:
"Country of the Tswana" in Setswana, the country's dominant
ethnic group.
-
Brazil:
From pau-brasil ("brazilwood", lit.
"red-wood").
-
Brunei: Etymology unknown.
-
Bulgaria:
Derived from the Bulgars, the extinct tribe of
Turkic origin
-
Burkina
Faso: "Land of Honest Men”.
-
Burma:
"Burmans", in reference to the nation's largest ethnic group, people.
-
Burundi:
"Land of the Rundi-Speakers".
-
Cambodia:
"Land of the Kambojas", Latinized from French Cambodge, from Sanskrit
Kambojadeśa
-
Cameroon:
"Shrimp".
-
Canada:
"Village", from Iroquoian Kanada
-
Cape
Verde: "Green Cape", from the Portuguese Cabo Verde.
-
Central
African Republic: Self-descriptive
-
Chad:
"Lake", from Lake Chad.
-
Chile:
Etymology unknown.
-
China:
Zhongguo or Chung-kuo- the most common endonym:
originally meaning "Central Demesne", then "Middle
Kingdom", now equivalent to "Central Nation".
-
Colombia:
"Land of Columbus" in Spanish, adopted in 1863.
-
Comoros:
"Moons", from the Arabic ("Islands of the Moon").
-
Republic
of the Congo: "[Land beside] the Congo River
-
Democratic
Republic of the Congo: Same as above.
-
Costa Rica: "Rich Coast" in
Spanish.
-
Côte
d'Ivoire: "Ivory Coast" in French, from its previous involvement
in the ivory trade
-
Croatia:
Etymology uncertain.
-
Cuba:
Etymology unknown.
-
Cyprus:
Etymology unknown.
-
Czechoslovakia:
"Land of the Czechs and Slovaks".
-
Czech
Republic: Self-descriptive, adopted upon the Velvet Divorce in 1993.
-
Denmark:
Etymology uncertain.
-
Djibouti:
Etymology unknown
-
Dominica:
"Sunday Island" in Latin, feminized from diēs Dominicus
-
East
Timor: "Eastern East [Island]", from the Portuguese Timor-Leste.
-
Ecuador:
"Equator" in Spanish.
-
Egypt:
"Home of the ka of Ptah".
-
El
Salvador: "The Savior" in Spanish.
-
Equatorial
Guinea: Self-descriptive.
-
Eritrea:
"Land of the Red Sea".
-
Estonia:
"Land of the Aesti", a correction of earlier Esthonia
-
Ethiopia:
"Land of the Blacks"
-
Fiji:
"Viti Levu", from its Tongan form Fisi.
-
Finland:
"Land of the Finns".
-
France:
"Land of the Franks", Anglicized from Late Latin Francia.
-
Gabon:
"Cloak"
-
The
Gambia: "Kaabu", named for
the Gambia River
-
Georgia:
Etymology uncertain.
-
Germany:
Deutschland "The People's Land", from Old High
German diutisciu land
-
Ghana:
"Warrior King"
-
Greece: Etymology
uncertain.
-
Grenada:
"Granada", from its French name La Grenade, from earlier Spanish
Granada.
-
Guatemala:
"Forest"
-
Guinea:
Etymology uncertain.
-
Guinea-Bissau: Etymology uncertain as above.
-
Guyana:
"Land of Many Waters" in an indigenous language.
-
Haiti: From
Taíno/Arawak, Hayiti or Hayti, meaning "mountainous land"
-
Honduras:
Christopher Columbus named the country "Honduras", Spanish for
"depths
-
Hungary: Magyarország (native name – "land of
the Magyars").
-
Iceland:
"Land of Ice", from Old Norse Ísland
-
India:
"Land of the Indus River
-
Indonesia:
"Indian Islands"
-
Iran:
"Land of the Aryans" or "land of the free".
-
Iraq:
One theory is that it is derived from the city of Erech/Uruk near the river
Euphrates.
-
Ireland:
After "Éire" from Proto-Celtic *Īweriū, "the fertile place"
-
Israel:
The name "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל
Isra'el – literally "Struggled with God")
-
Italy:
From Latin Ītalia, referring to an early population in the southern part of
Calabria.
-
Jamaica:
Taíno/Arawak "Land of wood and
water" or perhaps "Land of springs".
-
Japan: Nippon "Land of the Rising Sun",
indicating Japan as lying to the east of China (where the sun rises)
-
Jordan:
After the river Jordan
-
Kazakhstan:
"Land of the Kazakhs”
-
Kenya:
After Mount Kenya, probably from the Kikuyu Kere Nyaga ("White
Mountain")
-
Kiribati:
An adaptation of "Gilbert", from the former European name the
"Gilbert Islands
-
Korea
(North and South): South Koreans call Korea Hanguk from Samhan .North Koreans
call it Chosŏn from Gojoseon.
-
Kosovo: The Serbian word "Kosovo", derived from "Kosovo
Polje", and literally means "Field of
Blackbird"
-
Kuwait:
From the Arabic diminutive form of Kut or Kout meaning "fortress built
near water".
-
Kyrgyzstan:
Derives from three words in Persian: "land of forty tribes".
-
Laos: Coined
under French rule, derived from Lao lao
meaning "a Laotian" or "Laotian"
-
Latvia:
Derived from the regional name Latgale, originally Lettigalli.
-
Lebanon:
is derived from the Semitic root "LBN", means "white" and
"milk".
-
Lesotho: "Land
of the Basotho" or "of the Sesotho-speakers"
-
Liberia:
From the Latin liber: "free”
-
Libya:
After an ancient Berber tribe called Libyans by the Greeks
-
Liechtenstein:
From the German "Light stone" ("light" as in "bright").
-
Lithuania:
Name originates from the word lieti - to
consolidate or to unite
-
Luxembourg: From Celtic Lucilem "small" and
Germanic burg: "castle", thus lucilemburg: "little castle".
-
Macedonia:
Macedonian: Македонија/ Makedonija) is from the Greek word Μακεδονία
a kingdom
-
Madagascar: From Madageiscar, a corruption
of Mogadishu popularized by Marco Polo.
-
Malawi: Possibly based on a native word meaning
"flaming water" or "tongues of fire,"
-
Malaysia: Malaya is a combination of two
Tamil/Sanskrit words meaning hilltown.
-
Maldives:
From the Arabic mahal it could mean "Palace Islands”
-
Mali:
The word mali means
"hippopotamus" in Malinké and Bamana.
-
Malta:
From either Greek or Phoenician. The Greeks are known to have called the island
Melita (Μελίτη) meaning "honey", as did the Romans
-
Marshall
Islands: Named after British
Captain John Marshall
-
Mauritania:
Latin for "land of the Moors".
-
Mauritius:
Named Prins Maurits van Nassaueiland in 1598 after Maurice of Nassau
(1567–1625),
-
Mexico:
After the Mexica branch of the Aztecs.
-
Federated
States of Micronesia: A name coined from the Greek words– "small
islands".
-
Moldova:
From the Moldova River in Romania
-
Monaco:
From the ancient Greek monoikos (μόνοικος) 'single-dwelling'
-
Mongolia:
"Land of the Mongols" in Latin. "
-
Montenegro:
"Black Mountain" in the Venetian dialect of Italian, for Mount
Lovćen
-
Morocco:
From the Spanish Marruecos or Portuguese Marrocos, via French Maroc
-
Mozambique:
From the name of the Island of Mozambique
-
Namibia: From
the coastal Namib Desert. "Namib" means "area where there is
nothing"
-
Nauru:
From the Nauruan word Anáoero, which means "I go to the beach".
-
Nepal:
Derived from "Nepa.” "Nepa" literally means "those who
domesticate cattle"
-
Netherlands:
Germanic for "low lands".
-
New
Zealand: After the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, which means
"sea land
-
Nicaragua:
A merger after Nicarao, a leader indigenous community and agua, the Spanish for "water"
-
Niger: Named after the Niger River, from a native
term Ni Gir or "River Gir"
-
Nigeria:
After the Niger River that flows through the western areas
-
Norway:
From the old Norse norðr and vegr, "northern way".
-
Oman:
Etymology uncertain.
-
Pakistan:
"Land of the Pure"
-
Palau:
Traditionally derived from Palauan aidebelau ("indirect replies)
-
Panama:
From the Cueva Indian language meaning "place of abundance of fish
-
Papua New
Guinea: "Papua" derives from Malay papuah describing the frizzy
hair of Melanesians. "New Guinea" comes from the Spanish
-
Paraguay:
Means "water of the Payagua (a native tribe)
-
Peru:
The most popular theory derives it from the native word biru, meaning
"river"
-
Philippines:
"Lands of Prince Philip of Austria", from the Spanish
-
Poland:
"Land of Polans", the territory of the tribe of Polans (Polanie).
-
Portugal:
From medieval Romance Portucale, from Latin Portus Cale
-
Qatar:
Derives from "Qatara", believed to refer to the Qatari town of
Zubara,
-
Romania:
"Roman Realm". The Roman Empire conquered a large part of the country
-
Russia:
English and Russian: from Rosia or Rossiya, from the Byzantine Greek Rōsía meaning
"Land of the Rōs"
-
Rwanda:
"Land"
-
Sahrawi
Arab Democratic Republic: After the
Sahrawi people.
-
Saint
Kitts and Nevis: St. Kitts took its name in honour of Saint Christopher,
the patron saint of travelling. Nevis derives from the Spanish phrase Nuestra Senora
de las Nieves, which means "Our Lady of the Snows"
-
Saint
Lucia: "Saint Lucy" in Latin, for the shipwreck upon the island
of French sailors on St. Lucy's Day, 13 December 1502.
-
Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines: Saint Vincent: bestowed by Christopher Columbus for
their discovery on St. Vincent's Day, 22 January 1498.The Grenadines: From the
Spanish city of Granada.
-
Samoa:
"Holy Center"
-
San Marino:
"Saint Marinus" in Italian, for the stonemason who fled to the area's
Mount Titano
-
São Tomé
and Príncipe: São Tomé: "Saint Thomas" in Portuguese, for its
discovery on St. Thomas Day. Príncipe: "Prince" in Portuguese, from
shortening its original name Ilha do Principe ("Isle of the Prince")
-
Saudi
Arabia: "Arabia of the Sauds", in reference to the ruling
dynasty.
-
Senegal:
From the Senegal River.
-
Serbia:
The exact origin of the name is uncertain
-
Seychelles: After Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Finance Minister to King Louis XV of
France
-
Sierra
Leone: The Spanish version of the Portuguese Serra Leoa ("Lion Mountains").
-
Singapore:
Singapura (in Malay) derives from Sanskrit which means "Lion City".
-
Slovakia:
From the Slavic "Slavs".
-
Slovenia:
"Land of the Slavs" in Slovene and other South Slavic languages.
-
Solomon
Islands: Named for the Biblical King Solomon
-
Somalia:
"Land of the Somali", an ethnic group.
-
South
Africa: Self-descriptive, from its location in Africa.
-
South
Sudan: Self-descriptive, from its former position within Sudan
-
Spain: "Island of Hyraxes", from Norman
French Spagne, from the Latin Hispania
-
Sri Lanka:
"Holy Island", from Sanskrit
-
Sudan:
"Land of the Blacks", from the Arabic Bilad as-Sudan
-
Suriname: After the Surinen people
-
Swaziland:
"Land of the Swazi", an ethnic group.
-
Sweden:
From the Old English Sweoðeod, the Old
Norse Sviþjoð.
-
Switzerland:
From the toponym Schwyz first attested AD 972 as Suittes
-
Syria:
Meaning unknown.
-
Taiwan:
The present Chinese name conveys the meaning "Terraced Bay"
-
Tajikistan:
"Home of the Tajiks", a Persian-speaking ethnic group
-
Tanzania:
"Land of Tanganyika and Zanzibar"
-
Thailand:
"Land of the Thai" an ethnic group from the central plains
-
Togo:
From Togo, modern Togoville,
-
Tonga:
From the Samoan "South" or "Southern", in reference to
their position to Samoa.
-
Trinidad
and Tobago: Trinidad, from Spanish La Isla de la Trinidad ("Island of
the Holy Trinity"). Tobago, of uncertain etymology
-
Tunisia:
"Land of Tunis", its capital
-
Turkey:
"Land of the Turks", Latin Turcia and Arabic Turkiyye, an ethnic
group
-
Turkmenistan:
"Home of the Turkmens", an ethnic group
-
Tuvalu: "Eight Islands" or "eight
standing with each other" in Tuvaluan.
-
Uganda:
"Buganda" in Swahili
-
Ukraine:
"Land, country" from the Slavic kraj or krajna
-
Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics: Translated from the Russian Soyuz Sovietskikh
Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik (Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик)
adopted in December 1922 during the merger of the Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic, Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic,
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and Byelorussian Soviet Socialist
Republic.The word Soviet (Russian: совет, "council" or
"board") referred to the Communist planning committees.[citation
needed]Soviet Union, an alternate name: A shortened form of the above (Russian:
Советский Союз, Sovietsky Soyuz).
-
United
Arab Emirates: Self-descriptive, from the Arabic.
-
United
Kingdom: Self-descriptive; short-form name of "United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland", in reference to the island of Great Britain
and the country of Northern Ireland
-
United
States: Self-descriptive, short-form of “United States of America”. America
from explorer Amerigo Vespucci
-
Uruguay:
"Land beside the Uruguay River
-
Uzbekistan:
"Home of the Free”
-
Vanuatu:
"Our Land", in some of the Vanuatuan languages
-
Vatican
City: "City on Vatican Hill", translated from the Italian Città
del Vaticano and Latin Civitas Vaticana
-
Venezuela:
"Little Venice", from Italian Venezuola, the diminutive of
Venezia (Italian: "Venice")
-
Vietnam:
"Viet South" (Vietnamese: Việt Nam), an inversion of Nam Việt the
name of kingdom
-
Yemen:
Uncertain etymology.
-
Yugoslavia:
"Land of the Southern Slavs", from Southern Slavic
-
Zambia:
"Land of the Zambezi", which flows through the east of the country
-
Zimbabwe:
"House of Stones”
